Mobile Suit Gundam: Lives on the Line
by Strider1
Summary: An 08th team-like story that follows the trials and tribulations of an MS team on the front lines of the One Year War chapter 9 now up!
1. Meet the Team

This is as you hopefully know by know is a Universal Century Story about the lives of an 08th ms team-like group of soldiers on the front line. It takes place in Asia albeit a different section of it than shown in 08th MS team. A typical career soldier who will be introduced soon in the story commands the base that is presented in the tale. So with out further ado I present for your reading pleasure: Life on the Line!  
  
  
  
Current Setting a small modestly decorated office:  
  
"What do you mean you're retiring?"  
  
"To be honest sir, I just can't take it anymore." As the officer turned and marched silently from the office, Major William James Fossey sighed deeply to himself as he churned the past few days' events in his head over and over trying to make heads or tails out of it That was the second commander since the fighting started. One dead, one missing, both gone because of the actions of a single MS Team, the 4th team to be precise. Fossey just couldn't understand how that could happen. He flipped through the three personnel files that lay on his desk before him. Each one was for a different member of the team naturally. First, Chief Petty Officer Brian Nikolas, typical hotshot pilot, a hater of authority, and all around free spirit. Nikolas is the 4th team's second MS pilot and the oldest of the trio. Second, 1st Petty Officer Robert Tenser, a short-tempered, gung-ho MS aficionado. Also tends to disagree with superiors. Tenser is the team's 3rd MS pilot who usually works in a support role. Third and finally, Private Patrick Gatey, vindictive intelligent, cowardly and like his teammates before him he doesn't enjoy being ordered what to do. Gatey serves as the main Hover-truck operator and is the youngest of the three. Commander- none. 2nd hover-truck operator- none. He went AWOL after the last mission. Currently all three are milling about the base doing what they do most, either disobeying orders or simply nothing. If they weren't such outstanding pilots and soldiers in general they wouldn't be in the MS Corps to begin with. The Earth Federation doesn't have enough qualified personnel to let any good pilots go. Well, Fossey thought to himself, better tell them personally to get ready for their new commander. He called out to his assistant:  
  
"Ensign, bring the remainder of the 4th team in here please."  
  
"Sorry, sir but we couldn't find a single one of them." The ensign answered sheepishly. The Major leaned back in his chair and adjusted his collar. There was silence for a few moments.  
  
"Did you check the local bars?" he finally said.  
  
"Yes, we did sir, they weren't there."  
  
"Dammit." Fossey sighed he knew they wouldn't show. "Look, just make sure they know to see me tomorrow or they all face a court martial."  
  
'Yes sir." The ensign turned and bolted out the door leaving Fossey alone with his thoughts.  
  
Private Pat Gatey sat in the back of a speeding jeep, his friend and fellow soldier 1st PO Rob Tenser at the wheel.  
  
"Jesus Rob, could you drive just a little faster?" He chided.  
  
"Yah, its not like we're in a hurry to get back to base." Added CPO Brian Nikolas, who sat in the passenger seat.  
  
"Sorry guys, I didn't realize." Rob apologized not bothering to actually reduce the jeep's speed.  
  
"You never do" Gatey said. The trio just had a night on the town in celebration of their former commander's early retirement. All three were nearly as drunk as they were tired. It was a miracle that Rob hadn't already crashed the jeep or gotten lost.  
  
"Well" Rob continued, "Major Fossey did want to talk to us". Brian laughed:  
  
"You know damn well that if it's important enough he'll call us again."  
  
"True, he probably wanted to tell us about our new commander and ask us if we would take it easy on him." Rob guessed, a point that was more or less obvious at the time.  
  
"Ha, like that's really gonna happen!" Pat snickered. As they rode along the lights of the base in the distance slowly grew brighter and brighter, signaling that they were nearing their destination. Unlike the other bases in Asia this particular one had been in service before the one-year war had officially started and therefore was a little more traditional. It consisted of several massive make shift MS hangers, and a few barracks and the like stuck in a man-made clearing surrounded by a small wall. Outside that lay the dense jungle, the road that the boy were traveling on was the only major roadway to the base short of traveling through the jungle itself. Their jeep neared the perimeter as several watchtowers loomed overhead. The gate guard was apparently asleep as Rob eased the vehicle to stop in front of it. He was deeply asleep that no amount of yelling would rouse him, and Brian actually had to get out of the jeep to wake him up. He opened the gate and the trio idled through the base at a speed a turtle could outpace. Rob sloppily pulled into a spot and the three comrades-in- arms snuck back into their barracks for a much needed rest.  
  
End of Chapter one.  
  
Next time on Mobile Suit Gundam: Life on the Line: The 4th team are told about their new commander and to be honest they couldn't be any more surprised about who it is! Also they are introduced to their replacement Hover-Truck operator, to find out what happens next time you'll have to read chapter two, coming soon! Thanks for reading! 


	2. Surprise, Surprise

1.1 Mobile Suit Gundam: Lives on the Line  
  
Chapter 2  
  
2 The Next Morning  
  
"You wanted to see us sir?" asked Brian as innocently as he could while stile keeping a straight face. The Major however was not amused; at least Brian thought he didn't look like he was.  
  
"Cut the crap CPO Nikolas." Fossey barked. "For the love of god couldn't you three at least attempt to stand at attention."? He sighed, something he had noticed that he was doing a lot more since lately, as he looked over the three young men standing in front of him. Brian was for once actually wearing his uniform instead of a pair of jeans, though his sleeves were rolled up and his collar undone. Rob was in a white tee shirt, his jacket slung over his shoulder and finally Pat whom, even in the intense heat was the only one out of the three in full uniform. Albeit with every button fastened, something even the Major himself didn't do.  
  
"You boy's know that your new commander will be arriving here by this weekend, however there is something a little different about your new commander." Fossey said running his hand through his noticeably graying hair.  
  
"What?" Brian asked, a grin spreading across his face. "Is it some naïve young newbie who needs to be show the ropes, or perhaps some hard-assed officer who needs to be taken down a peg?" The three laughed until the Major spoke again, his tone suggesting a surprise was in store.  
  
"Well to be honest, you were correct in your first assumption Brian, except due to some recent regulation changes there has to be at least one woman in every typical MS team and since the 4th team doesn't, your new Commander will be a woman and she will be arriving soon."  
  
"What did you say!"? The trio yelled unison. This surprised even them, sure there were women in the military, some were officers, and many were MS pilots, but as far as they knew none had ever been a team commander.  
  
"You're serious so, I guess there's no way out of it, but we can't guarantee you we'll go easy on her." Brian said, the grin on his face slowly disappearing.  
  
"I envisioned you'd say those exact words Nikolas, but I have faith that she'll be the one who finally works out."  
  
"What's she like, what can you tell us about her"? Rob questioned his commander. Fossey stood up and took a small folder from the top of a filing cabinet he had in his office. He handed the file to Brian, and sat back down.  
  
"What's in that file is all we have about her, you're free to look through if you want to" he said folding his hands and leaning over his desk." You are all dismissed." With confused looks on each of their faces they walked out of the office and into the very hot and very bright sunlight. Fossey shook his head, they didn't even bother saluting him, but at this point he had long since stopped trying to personally trying to get them to follow orders.  
  
"C'mon Brian tell us what the file says." Pat said his voice in its usual slightly high-pitched state. Both he and Rob were standing on opposite sides of their friend and fellow soldier.  
  
"Yeah, hurry up." Rob chimed in  
  
"Alright, alright, it doesn't say much, uh, here we go, Ensign Eve Ketari, aged eighteen, born on side six, joined the military as soon as the war started, was at the top of her class in both strategy and piloting." Brian read from the file.  
  
"Skip that stuff." An increasingly annoyed Pat said.  
  
"Fine, it says here that she supposed to be a very upbeat, pleasant person with a sunny personality" Brian shook his head in disagreement with the information in the file. A person like this is usually so eager to prove themselves and their team that they get themselves killed, or at least they end up being really annoying. He pulled a picture of the Ensign out of a pocket on the folder. It showed a pretty young girl, with light brown hair, and bright eyes, naturally she had a big smile showing off white teeth.  
  
"Wow" Rob whistled. "She's actually kinda pretty." Brian had to admit he was right, she was kinda cute.  
  
"Is that all you care about Rob?" Pat accused. Brian had heard and been arguments before that started off like this before and decided to kill it before it started.  
  
"Hold on, you two let's deal with her when she arrives, but right now we have other business" Before the three could say or do anything else, a fourth person approached them, clad in a uniform and carrying a black duffel bag.  
  
"Are you Chief Petty Officer Nikolas"? He asked.  
  
"Yes I am, and who are you, may I ask?"  
  
"My name is Private Dustin Raj, and I'm the 4th team's replacement Hovertruck assistant, reporting for duty sir." Raj said straitening up and saluting. He looked to be a typical soldier, with black, short hair and a straight face.  
  
"Whoa, no need for formalities Private, it looks like we have some things to teach you." Brian said smiling at the now nervous looking newcomer.  
  
End of Chapter 2  
  
Next Time- Well the team has its first new member and he looks to be the spitting image of a new soldier, but that won't be for long once the 4th team gets done with him! 


	3. Layin' down the law

Mobile Suit Gundam Lives on the Line Chapter Three: New Best Friend  
  
A/N: This story does take place in Asia, although farther North than the events in 08th MS team. To be precise this base is part of a vital supply route to Kojima's base of operations.  
  
It was hot, humid almost unbearable day in the jungle. But then again when was it not, or to be more specific when will it ever be different? Chief Petty Officer Brian Nikolas was asking himself those same questions as he sat under a tent with his fellow teammates as they tried to explain to the newbie the "rules" of the base. It had almost been impossible to convince the kid to listen to them. Brian rested his head on his hand and stared out into the heavy rain that came along every so often. It had been about a week since he had arrived but it still the explaining went on and on. "Guys, I just don't understand your rules, or for that matter your logic, please explain it again." Asked Dustin Raj the new recruit in question. He had the look of an eight year old in a quantum physics class on his face. One of complete confusion, it was if the kid didn't know how to do anything but follow direct orders, Brian thought. The kid was talented, the three were sure of that, but he seemed to be so straight out of the military mold, just another naïve young man who only wanted to do what he was told. But the three were determined to make him understand. This war was cutting in on their time and they were going to get the most out of that. It was their job to make sure that Dustin could get the most fun out of this horrible experience as possible. Pat was the first to speak up: "Look, all we're trying to tell you is that you don't have to follow every order the top brass give you, you can do whatever you want" The boy scratched his head as if he didn't understand what "do whatever you want" meant. "But shouldn't I follow orders, I mean it just doesn't feel right" he said. "Brian explain to him one more time please." Groaned Rob. 'Look, kid, it's simply, we were supposed to clean out the bathrooms today, but we didn't right?" Brian asked, the youth nodded his head yes. "The reason why we don't get in trouble is because, they can't afford to lose valuable personnel like us at this stage of the conflict." Once again the private nodded. "Finally, we don't do anything, illegal or destructive, and we're always present for combat duty, we just don't do the boring menial jobs, so it works out in the end okay"? Raj sat in silence for a few seconds before he gave a response. "I. I-I, think I understand." He said, albeit a little un-assuredly. "That's great, stick with us kid and you'll go far!" Rob laughed patting Raj hard on the back. "C'mon you guys let's go get some food." "I don't know the commander's supposed to get here any minute, and I wanna be sure we are there to meet her, you know that first impressions are the most important part, ha ha." He said laying on the sarcasm pretty thick. "Yah, I'm hungry, let's hurry before we get too wet." The team stood and dashed out into the heavy rain each sprinting as fast as they could toward the mess hall, Brian leading the way followed closely by the newbie, then Pat and finally Rob. Ensign Eve Ketari starred in wonder at the lush jungle whizzing by her as the jeep she was in bounced down the dirt road to her destination Major Fossey's supply base, and her new assignment, being replacement commander of the 4th Team. She had been briefed earlier about the inherent difficulty of her new position. To be honest she jumped at the chance, it was a great way to prove that she good control a team like the 4th, in fact she nearly requested it, if she could have. The files told her everything that could be collected about the team she would need, since she had already read it through a number of times she was paying her attention to the beautiful forest that surrounded her. She wasn't used to the greenery since this was technically her first time on earth, or for that matter the humidity or the heavy rain. Thankfully, the jeep had a rain cover so its awe-stricken occupant didn't get wet. The jeep roared down the road and in the distance Eve could make out the outlines of the humanoid mobile suits in the distance. She was becoming increasingly excited; it had been a long hard road from the academy to her own personal command position. The driver shouted over the din of the ran: "Ma'am, we're approaching the base, and, Uh, I'd like to wish you luck, cause you're gonna need it." He said, turning and smiling at her. The jeep idled to a stop outside one of the massive empty MS hangers and a weary-looking Major greeted the young commander as she climbed out of the jeep. "Hello, Ensign." The man said. "I'm Major Fossey, and your team should be waiting for you by their mobile for first inspection, sorry I must be blunt but I'm in a hurry." He saluted and hurried off into the base followed closely by his retinue of assistants. Eve breathed deeply and made her way to were she would come face to face with her destiny.  
  
"Fuck, why are we sitting out in the goddamn rain waiting for the newbie so she can inspect us." Rob growled, his hooded poncho barely keeping him dry. Why couldn't they make her do this inside, but no it had to be in the pouring rain, that was just their luck. Their team mechanic and Brian's cousin, Chris Barcy had told them earlier that they had to meet her outside, irregardless of the weather for a combination team/mobile suit inspection, mandatory of course. So there they sat, waiting. A person approached them; his face hidden by the same hooded covering the three of them wore. "Are you the 4th team?" The figure asked quietly. Brian peered up and answered. "Yeah we are, and who the hell are you?" "Why, I'm your new commander." As if to cement what she said the figure pulled back the hood to reveal the pretty face of none other than Ensign Eve Ketari. The quartet's eyes grew wide, and decidedly out of character, all four snapped to attention and saluted. "Whoa hold on you guys, there's no need to patronize me, I've read all your files." She smiled at the three obviously surprised men and spoke again before any of them could responds "Alright I'm gonna lay it straight to you boys, I'm nowhere where near the others who tried to control you, I'm here to lead, I don't care whether or not you know the difference between those two words. I'm not gonna try and make you stand in line, or clean up crap or whatever they tried to make you do before, all I want you to do for me is to show up for inspections, for patrols and of course, combat duty, you can do whatever you want, for the rest of the day, if you want to swim or go get drunk in town, do it, okay?" "Nice speech commander, but how are we gonna believe all of that?" Brian said. The speech actually did impress him, and to be honest so did she, though he would never admit it. "I understand your concern, but at the risk of sounding corny, all I want is to be part of the team, I just want to be friends with you, not enemies. So are first mission together is tonight so I would like you to rest, you're all dismissed and I'll see you tonight." They stood for a few moments in silence, not sure what to make of the situation. Eve motioned towards the barracks and nodded a yes and the 4th team took off running into the pouring rain "Oh, wait CPO Nikolas, I have one more favor to ask you." "Yes?" He answered "The next time you all go into town to get wasted, make sure you bring me along with you all right?" He grinned, shook his head and followed the rest of his friends.  
  
Next time- Finally it's here mission number one. How will Eve lead the team? Will they accept her? Find out next time! 


	4. Battle in the Pouring Rain

Mobile Suit Gundam: Lives on the Line  
Chapter 5: Battle in the Pouring Rain  
  
  
As the night came it got colder, though the drop in temperature wasn't significant it was enough that when combined with the near torrential rainfall it did make for one miserable soldier or in this five miserable soldiers in the form of the 4th Team. Without the sun's warming rays the rain could chill a man too his bones even in the usually hot and humid jungle. Brian stood outside his mobile suit, staring up at it. In the darkness the humanoid machine had an eerie almost disturbing look about it. He found himself transfixed by the MS's eyes until the sound of his teammates snapped him out of his trance.  
"Hey Brian, get over here!" called Gatey, who was hunched over a portable heater. To his side sat Rob; still stuffing himself with the beans they had leftover from dinner. Across from them sat their new Commander and Private Raj. They all camped alone in the jungle, awaiting their next orders. They had found a small Zeon encampment previously unknown and had been staking the camp out for the past two or three hours, out of the range of their sensors of course. Their trio of suits was now hidden along with the Hovertruck in the dense brush.   
"Sitting around sucks. I'm tired of waiting" Tenser groaned, tossing an empty beer can aside. Just sit, watch and wait was what they were told to do, until the brass decided their fate. The silent monotony was broken suddenly by a beeping noise from within the Hovertruck. Raj leapt up, and clambered into the cockpit of the truck. He reemerged seconds later with a worried look on his face.  
'Uh ... commander that was the base and they want us to wipe out that camp" he said, visually shaken by the unfortunate news. Commander Eve Ketari slowly rose to her feet and unfurled a map onto a tree stump in front of her teammates.   
"Alright, let's get down to business, we've identified two, maybe three Zakus in the area along with several fixed guns, a frontal assault even under the cover of darkness would be complete suicide, so do any of you have any suggestions? She said pointing out each detail on the map.  
"That's different." Brian mumbled.  
"What is?" Eve asked.  
"Usually our old commanders would have ordered us to attack from the front, probably hoping one of us would die in the process." He nearly growled, the anger clearly evident in his voice.  
"Like I said before, things are going to be done different now" She assured him. "Okay here's my plan, Rob you're our long-range specialist, so I want you to lay down some covering fire on the Zeons. CPO Nikolas you go around to the side, move in and fire at will. During the confusion, I'll come in from the other side and sweep through what's left. Let's do this, okay?" Brian and Rob nodded in agreement and scaled up to their respective cockpits. Both started up and began to move out.   
"Rob, begin firing in ten, were on radio silence from now, so good luck guys" Eve's voice crackled over the intercom before fading away. Brian maneuvered his suit through the brush, thinking to himself. SO far the commander seemed to know what she was doing. He could clearly see the base know, and he had already locked on to one of the three Zakus. He patiently waited for the shots that would signal the start of the battle. He peered at his clock; according to it the time had come. As if on cue, a huge explosion ripped through one of the emplacements, blowing it into countless pieces. More shots followed soon after sending the Zeke's into disarray. He grinned, just as planned, nice going commander he thought to himself. His MS stood up and he too opened fire on the Zaku he was aiming at. Time after time his machine gun hit its mark. The Zaku's pilot attempted to turn the suit around, but it was all in vain, a bullet pierced his cock pit killing him instantly. The suit toppled over soon after. Brian fired wildly into the base adding to the confusion.  
"Whooooo-ha!" he yelled into his intercom. On the other side of the camp, Cmdr. Ketari also sat in waiting. She had seen the opening shots as well as the machine gun fire from Nikolas. So much for radio silence she thought. Up to this point her plan was going smoothly, the two-pronged assault had went perfectly. It was now her turn, she raced from her hiding spot and into the, as her suit would go. The two remaining Zakus were returning fire on Brian's position, their backs turned to Ketari. She ignited her beam saber and cleaved through the closest enemy, one that had been damaged by Rob's initial barrage. The saber cleaved through its right arm and continued until it had completely sliced the machine in half. The torso hit the ground, sparked and exploded violently moments later. The last Zaku turned and trained his gun on her Gundam, letting loose a volley of shots. Eve raised her shield in time to block the fire. The Zeon pilot dropped his gun, and drew his Heat Hawk, charging Eve's position. She followed suit by dropping her shield and barreling at the incoming mobile suit. Their two weapons clashed, but the superior saber won out, it sliced through the Heat Hawk and cut deeply into the Zaku's shoulder, causing it to stumble backwards. Eve thrust forward once more to end the duel. The rest was elementary, without the Zakus to back them up the turrets all surrendered. The final tally, three Zakus destroyed as well as two bunkers.   
"Great job guys, I'm proud of you." Eve said, a smile lighting up her face. "Imagine the looks on our reinforcements faces when they see that we managed to wipe the Zeons out."  
"Don't think you've won us over that easy, commander." Rob cautioned wagging a finger at her.  
"I didn't expect to, not this quickly Tenser, just consider this my first test." She answered.  
"A test that you passed with flying colors, Eve." Brian said. "You're already a step ahead of our other commanders, wouldn't you agree"? He turned to Gatey, who was occupying himself by picking over the remains of one of the downed Zakus.  
"Yea, she actually survived the first battle!" He laughed, looking over a hunk of metal before throwing it back to the ground. Rob grumbled audibly, Brian couldn't make out what he said, but he was sure it was a yes. The commander was impressive, to say the least. She said they would win and they did, Rob just didn't want to openly agree. Not yet anyway.  
"However, commander like you said this is just one step in the right direction." He still hated to admit it but she was slowly but surely winning not only him over but the rest of the team as well. Dustin Raj's head poked out from the inside of the Hovertruck.  
"Hey Cmdr. Ketari, we're to head back to base now" he called down.  
"Alright, let's get going, CPO Nikolas, I need to talk to you in private when we get back."  
"No problem," With that the team returned to base, grabbed a quick bite at the mess hall and called it a night. That is except for Brian Nikolas, who couldn't think of any reason good or bad, why the commander would need to see just him. But he would find out soon enough. He entered Eve's "office" which was more or less a side room in the main building used by team commanders when they need to talk to team members in private.   
'Sit down, Brian, this is important." She motioned a seat, which he took. 'I want you to answer truthfully."  
"Sure, what is it?" He asked.  
"You're a member of the Zeon, aren't you, CPO Nikolas?   
"What! How did you know?  
End Chapter 5  
How can this be? A member of the 4th teams a spy, and the main character no less. Is it true? Tune in for the next chapter to find out! 


	5. Secrets revealed, enemies unveiled

Mobile Suit Gundam: Lives on The Line

Chapter 5 (the real one): Secrets Revealed

Brian stared wide-eyed at his commander in disbelief, but the look on her face belied nothing but how serious she was.

"Hear me out Brian, you're not in trouble, I just want the truth" she said. Brian's disbelief and surprise had faded by now, his head hung low sulkingly.

"Alright, sit back commander this is going to be a long story." He began. "It's true…it's true, I was born on Side 3, but when I was very young, my mother and I moved from there to earth. She didn't want me to be around the war and the violence she knew was brewing. However as time passed, about when I was fifteen, my father returned and took me back, filling my head with stories about the "glory" of Zeon and it's cause. He enrolled me in a top Zeon military academy. As you can guess, my attitude was lacking and it was my errant piloting skill that saved me from being expelled. After that I got dumped in some dead end team that more or less was slated for destruction when earth was assaulted."

"Hold on, how exactly did you wind up fighting for the Federation? Did you defect?" Eve interrupted.

"Well our team got ambushed and was wiped out, aside from our commander I was the only one that survived. I got as far as I could with my wounded Zaku, but I was captured and imprisoned at the very same base my team was sent to attack. To say the least, they didn't jump when I told them I wanted to defect, though I couldn't blame them. While in prison, via word of mouth I learned that the base was to be a waypoint stop for an experimental mobile suit! Somehow the Zeon found out and attacked the base, in the confusion I escaped and stole… er, commandeered the suit and defended the base. I destroyed about three Zakus in the process. At this point they believed me and I was treated to a crash course in Federation Mobile suits. I got shuffled from team to team until they sent me here and to my surprise, some of my old friends to form a new. Well that's my story." He stood in front of his commander, awaiting her response.

"Brian it's my turn to be honest. You see, I knew all along, everything you told just now was in your file." She said, holding the aforementioned file in her hands. "Don't' worry, I'm not going to think any different or any less of you, I just wanted to hear the truth straight from you" She smiled and it put Brian a little more at ease to see her do that.

"Thanks, Eve, that means a lot to mean, but don't let the others know, okay?

"No problem, Brian. I have one more question, who was your commander?" Brian visibly shuddered, a look of disgust swept across his face.

He was a nightmare, that sadistic son of a bitch worked us like we were his slaves. He was skilled though; I never was to see or here of him again. His nickname, I unfortunately remember was either the Black Plague or the Plague Ace. Please, don't make me think of him anymore."

"Of course, Brian. You're dismissed, get a good night's rest." He smiled back at her, turned and walked back to his bunk where he quickly fell fast asleep. 

The scene changes, many miles away.  A young ensign runs across a field, hurrying to give his report to his commander. This was his first assignment in the field and he didn't want to upset him by being late to deliver the results of the battle that occurred not long ago. He came to the foot of the hill and made his way up, under the spotlights of numerous Zakus he saw his commander. He was a young man in his twenties, and possessed an eerie charisma and looks that made it impossible not to notice him. He had jet-black hair, a permanent sneer and a profile that was usually reserved for roman emperors. He was tall but by no means a physical, his presence however, towered over everyone near him. But perhaps his most impressive attribute were his eyes, a steel-like grayish hue that denied explanation, they were so intense that despite their drab color, could drill a hole through the most hardened individual. Beside him stood his second in command, an ugly man with a sinister grin on face. Just like everyone else, the young ensign found it difficult to approach the man let alone speak to him, but he knew what he must do.

"Um, excuse me, sir" He stuttered. His commander turned and fixed his eyes on him. 'The uprising has been put down, and all of the rioters have been apprehended." There was a silence, as his commander obviously thought over the ensign's next orders. He spoke, his voice as steely as his eyes.

"Excellent work, ensign, now I want you and your men to burn the village to the ground and kill everyone of the villagers. Man, women or child, it doesn't matter, those peons need to be taught a lesson. They will be the example of what happens to those who rise up against the glory of Zeon." The ensign gasped, horrified at what he just been ordered to do.

"But sir, we can't do that! It's inhuman!" The man narrowed his eyes as he stared down the ensign.

"You dare to question my orders? He growled. "Mr. Oz, please execute the ensign for his insubordination" The man called Oz calmly pulled his sidearm from it's holster and place a shot directly between the young ensign's eyes, killing him instantly. "Now Ethan, will you take care of those villagers for me?"

"With pleasure, Commander Arcan" His grin grew wider as he rushed to his Zaku. Arcan now stood alone of the hilltop.

"Soon." He mused. " Soon, this whole area will belong to the Principality of Zeon."  

End of part 5

Next time on Mobile Suit Gundam: Lives on the Line: Who are these men, and what do they have to do with our heroes. Find out this and more in the next installment. Stay tuned.        


	6. Shattered Peace

Mobile Suit Gundam: Lives on The Line 

Chapter 6: Shattered Peace

The morning was a beautiful one, one of the nicest since the war had started. The rain had ceased, and as a result of the downpour, the area had cooled down considerably. However, none of the slowly gathering crowd of pilots, officers, and mechanics took much of a notice of the weather. The call had gone out pretty early for all of the base personnel to assemble outside the huge MS hangers. Apparently there was an important announcement or some big news; the crowd was abuzz with everyone talking at once about what it could possibly be about. Everyone both dreaded and heralded any news that was important enough to gather the entire base. It could be could or bad depending on whom you asked, there was more than enough grist for the rumor mill. Brian was roused roughly from his sleep by Eve, who he decided was way too chipper for 6:21 in the morning. He barely had enough time to dress, but as soon as he did, he went out into the hall and was joined by teammate Gatey, who was in full uniform as usual.

"You know what's goin' on?" Brian asked, leaning over to lace up his boots. Pat scratched his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"Hell if I know, they never tell us until we get there."

"Maybe the war is over?' It wasn't a question that was not meant to be answered, both were all to well aware that the war was probably far from over. Although it helped to hope sometimes. The silence from the sudden depression of the two comrades was broken by a booming shout that echoed down the hall. IT was the unmistakable voice of Robert Tenser in one of his daily bad moods. The shouting grew louder as the pair saw Rob walk down the hall, literally pulling the struggling Raj along with him. Apparently, when Dustin had woken Rob, he made it seem like the Red Comet himself was assaulting the base, and boy did he get pissed.

"We'd better get going, just in case Dustin falls down and is dragged on the ground all the way to the assembly." Gatey said, smiling. They took off after their teammates. When they reached the reached the mass gathering Brian looked out amongst the crowd for a familiar face. He found one, in the handsome visage of his cousin: "Gorgeous" Chris Gerbels, the 4th team's chief mechanic.

"Hey Chris!" Brian called out. "What's up?"

 "Something real bad happened a ways from here." Chris answered. Brian trusted the good-looking man more than anyone else he knew, and as a result he was one of the only people who knew his cousin's darkest secret. Almost as if on cue the P.A. system crackled to life, quickly quieting the crowd. Major Fossey's voice boomed out over the area. His tone was low and somber.

"May I please have your attention? I would like to inform you all of the tragic event that occurred late last night. As some of you may already know, a small village that had been forcibly occupied by the Zeon has been completely wiped out. The townsfolk had valiantly risen up against their barbaric captors and were massacred, every man, women and child. For those of you who ask why we fight the Zeon, this is your answer. We fight to stop these horrific acts from happening and to free both the earth and it's people! Now you are all to go out and inspect your Mobile suits, and get them ready, because we are not going to let those bastards perpetrate crimes like this and go un-punished! Thank you!" The crowd erupted with a massive cheer that echoed far throughout the base. It had climbed to reach a fervor, a near riot as the gathering of personal vented their feelings. Brian looked at his teammates around him; they were as fired up as they possibly could be. He too was feeling the horrified, and pissed off at what had happened and he was eager to pay his enemies back. The people dispersed in a hurry, heading towards their stations as the furor died down. Eve stood in front of her men, a look of pride and excitement on her. Obviously the Major's speech had affected her the same way it did the entire base. 

'Alright, guys let's get going, I want those suits in top shape when we go kick some Zeke ass!" She shouted. The five men whooped their agreement and they all literally sprinted to their MS's. She hurried after them; her spirits boosted even more by the morale of her charges. 

The trio of Mobile Suits kneeled down behind makeshift scaffoldings, one that was erected just for this type of occasion. As team leader it was one of her jobs to assist in the overseeing of the team's MS's. The boy were proud of their weapons and in her opinion rightly so. For what they lacked in general discipline, they more than made up for it with combat skills, and the MS showed it. Both Brian and Rob piloted RX-79 Ground Battle Gundams, though Rob's was perennially fitted with a storage container, befitting his support role for the team. The former GM Sniper pilot preferred the long-range support role to close combat. Brian was also an expert gunner, but he favored machine guns and Beam rifles to bazookas, and rocket launchers. Eve on the other hand piloted a ground combat-fitted GM. She unlike her gun-crazy comrades was very proficient at "hand-to-hand" MS combat. She believed that the GM was just a little bit more maneuverable, albeit a little less tough than it counter-parts.  

"Pick up the pace." She called up to the various techs and mechanics bustling around the trio of suits. "Make sure they're all refueled, and also reload the Vulcans for each." One of the mechanics turned to look at her and shouted an okay. She recognized him as their Chief mechanic, Gerbels. Her first impression of him was that he was just an air-head only interested in meeting women, and that he only got he job somehow because of his relation to Brian. But as she had seen he was more than a capable mechanic, he could work wonders with a damaged MS. She smiled to herself, just another example of don't just a book by its cover. She heard someone call out her name and saw her Hover-truck operators walking over to her.

"All work on the Hover-Truck is complete commander" Pat reported. Gatey was an odd little man, from what she had learned he hated Mobile Suits, which is why he drives the HT, but he has never given any reason why. "What's our next assignment Eve?"

"Well, we have the honor, of being the first team to search the are around the destroyed village for any lagging Zeon units." She said. "We're to start out in a few hours and be there late this afternoon." 

"We're going to teach those Zeon a lesson" he smiled

"Yes, we are."

End Chapter 6

Next Time: The team has been once again ordered into combat, but what will happen when they reach their destination? Stay tuned and find out!  


	7. Federation Retaliation

Mobile Suit Gundam: Lives on the Line

Chapter 7: Federation Retaliation

Lieutenant Felix Arcan loved his work and he took great pride out of it.  He was both feared and respected by soldier and officer alike, though he cared more about the former than the latter. He was a firm believer that fear was a better, more efficient way of keeping troops in line. A man that is too scared to move unless you tell him too isn't going to step out of line to often. Respect could only go so far.  He had the reputation of being one of the Principality of Zeon's greatest pilots, eclipsed only by the Red Comet himself. And he hated Aznable for it. Char basked in the limelight, which came with being in favor, while he rotted away in a sweltering hellhole. Still an order is an order, so his plans for revenge would have to wait. He was a patient man however; when the time came he would be ready. He chuckled at the thought of getting back at everyone who every crossed or overlooked him. The sudden entrance of a nervous looking subordinate snapped him from his imagination. The younger man stood perfectly still when the piercing eyes of the cadaver-like Lieutenant met his own.

"S-Sir we have reports that there are Federation mobiles approaching and we have reason to believe they are heading to the remains of the village that we destroyed a few hours ago." He was almost to the point of shivering as it was well known throughout the area that Arcan wouldn't hesitate to kill a subordinate if he felt something had been done wrong. 

"Is that so? Deploy some Zaku's to cover our rear as we move on. I will leave my second-in-command to assist if the need arises, dismissed." The officer breathed a sigh of relief and turned to walk out of the tent. 

"One more thing, the next time you barge in here without permission I will personally execute you." The young man's eyes widened and he literally dashed out of his commander's tent, trying to get away from the man as fast as he could. Arcan smiled once more, he loved his job very, very much.

            For once the 4th team had taken off without a hitch, and was now on the way to the village. But of course, the fastest way to get there they found out was to go straight through the jungle.

"Goddamn trees!" Rob shouted, his suit nearly tripping over a root that was sticking out of the ground. Traveling without a path through a rainforest was a hard job enough for a regular team of soldiers, let alone soldiers who were piloting the massive and occasionally clumsy Mobile Suits. They were forced to make their own path by knocking down a tree every once in a while or by moving rocks. 

"Hey, at least there aren't any guerrillas around here." Brian answered back. "Did you here about that one ensign who got captured during his first mission?" 

"Lucky he convinced the guerrillas to help him out." Rob said, he had heard the rumors and frankly didn't believe them all to be true.

"Hey you guys, would you mind cutting down on the radio chatter? We are on a mission here." 

"Oh come Eve, that doesn't matter we not exactly sneaking in" said Gatey who was following close behind the MS's in the hover truck. The HT was just as bad as the suits and had to move through the path they cleared.

"Like you would any of you would really listen to me anyway. Any readings yet Derik"? 

"Nothing yet ma'am, just static" Derik for the most part stayed quiet most of the time, not drawing attention to himself, which is what he wanted  to do. He didn't want any attention, as hard as that would be with the 4th team. But they weren't nasty to him; they just let him tag along wherever they went. Orders were simple, investigate the area and eliminate any Zekes that hung around to marvel at their handiwork. The next two hours came and went without any events but as soon as the still smoking remains came into view things picked up. 

"Commander, I'm getting some readings, a coupla Zaku's, but I can't tell where they are or how many of them are here." Derik radioed Eve.

"Okay, stay close everyone and keep an eye out for anything, Gatey get the Hover truck out of here."  The truck turned and sped down the path they had made through the jungle. The trio of suits slowly moved through the village, scanning the area around them. Though it was just a small village there where still places for a Zaku to hide. 

"Incoming!" Eve shouted. Three Zaku's emerged from the forest, their machine guns blazing. A fourth burst from inside the biggest building the village. Brian turned his suit and fired at the Zaku that came out of the house, but it managed to block the shots with its shoulder shield. Eve and Rob trained their guns on the other three, with Rob blowing the head off one of them with his bazooka. Brian's enemy rocketed out off the building and floated down into the jungle. 

"I'm going after that one!" he shouted to his teammates. He too rocketed into the jungle. The other team members were still back in the village pinned down in a huge ditch by the Zaku's barrage. 

"Rob." Eve started. "I'm going to fire off some flares, when I do, open fire on the Zaku's" She reloaded her machine gun and prepared to move out, she planned on rushing the suits when they were distracted. 

"Okay" The flares went up and the Zaku pilots predictably looked up at the sudden bright light. In that instant Rob stood and fired everything he had at the two Zaku's. Eve charged from her position and rushed the pair. She tackled one of them to the ground and destroyed it with a close range salvo from her own guns. Its partner drew its Heat Hawke and sliced the back of her suit throwing sparks everywhere. She drew her own weapon in time to block the next swipe. She quickly counter-attacked and managed to damage the Zaku's leg, causing it to hobble backward. It moved in again undaunted, only to stagger forward again, smoke billowing from it's back. Eve lunged at her distracted foe and sliced him across the chest killing it pilot. She looked up to realize that Rob had during the confusion maneuvered behind the enemies and hit him with a clean shot right in the back. 

"Nice work Rob, now let's go help Brian" They rushed out into the jungle after their missing friend. Brian moved as quick and as quiet as he could the thick jungle. He had lost sight of the Zaku, whose pilot was obviously used to fighting in these conditions. Out of nowhere he was hit by machine gun fire only for it to disappear as soon as he regained his composure enough to fire back. He just couldn't get a lock on his elusive foe. He crouched down; he knew his was safe since the machine guns weren't nearly effective enough to critically damage his suit. The other pilot was just trying to get into his head and confuse him until he could deliver a killing strike. He was ready, and it paid off, he saw the Zaku launch upward from behind him and come crashing down towards him, it axe drawn, He had time only to maneuver his shield to absorb the blow. The force split his shield and cut into his chest, but not deep enough to puncture his cockpit. He kicked the suit off his own and readied for its next attack. The Zaku charged and Brian blocked a swipe aimed at his suit's head. He pushed the Zaku back and lunged forward, faking another high blow but instead swing around at the Zaku's arm. The Zaku's axe stopped the beam saber before it made contact. Suddenly fire rang out from the forest striking the Zaku's side. Brian attempted another slash but the Zeke pilot dodged. He retreated hurling his axe at the grounded Gundam. Brian knocked the axe away only to find that the Zaku had retreated deep into the jungle. 

"Brian, don't go after him" Eve told him. 'The others have been defeated, we're supposed to go back to base know." Brian grunted inside his suit, he knew he would meet that pilot again on the battlefield, and then he would finish the job.

End Chapter 7

Next Time on Mobile Suit Gundam: Lives on the Line- The 4th team takes a well deserved leave from duty, but what could possibly go wrong? Stay tuned and find out next time.


	8. Time Well Spent

Mobile Suit Gundam: Lives on the Line

Chapter 8: Time Well Spent

            "As much as I regret doing this I grant you, the 4th team a weekend pass into town, on the basis of your recent success out in the field." Major Fossey was tired, and a little worried. It was a common practice throughout the military to grant leave to teams that do well in battle, so as to keep morale high. Sort of like work benefits, only in a different context. The 4th team was, as hard as it was to believe, was the best team he had at the time, having just won another battle against the Zeons. What he was most worried about was what they could, or would do without any form of supervision. Oh well, at least they would be out of his hair for at least a day. 

            The team had returned from their last mission, and was so happy that they almost literally tore the base's small bar to bits in their celebration. Not only did they party like animals, they pulled nearly the entire base into fervor. Sending them off into the city to get wasted and do whatever the hell else they wanted to do was necessary if he wanted the base to stay standing. He had to be honest, he had never seen troop morale get as high as it was now, despite the catastrophe at the village, and the fact that the war looked like it would drag on forever. Irregardless, they had only had two successful missions and as miraculous as the victories were they were by no mean finished. He would have to keep his eyes on them. Who know what kind of chaos they'd cause if they were allowed to run roughshod as they pleased, considering how they act now.

"Ha Ha Ha, can you guys believe this?" Tenser whooped, a wide grin stretching across his face. "A whole weekend to spend as we please." The team was walking in a big group towards the vehicle bay that would provide them with the transportation they needed to get away from the boring military base. They had argued all morning over what they were going to do. Gatey suggested that they go and sleep all day and not do anything at all. This idea was quickly shot down. They came to an agreement that they would probably spend Saturday drinking and partying and then spend sleeping off the hangovers they were all sure to have, which was Eve's idea. 

"This is going to be one hell of a blast, you know what I 'm gonna do?" asked Brian. He was probably the happiest out of the group, next to Eve who couldn't be any more proud of her boys.

"Besides getting wasted off your ass, Brian?" Eve answered. It was ironic that she was never really much of a drinker herself, but it seems that whenever these got the opportunity to drink, or party, or hell even sleep in they took. To her it, it looked like that to these three men; fighting in this war was nothing but a way to pass time, and have as much fun in the process as possible. 

"Well that too of course, but for some reason, I feel like I want to start a fight." He responded, scratching his head.  He still had some pent-up anger and he felt like he had to waste it on some poor bastard's face.

"Well's that certainly an odd goal, Brian but remember we're all behind you in case you start getting your ass kicked. 

"Thanks a bunch Rob; I feel sooooo reassured now that **you've got my back." Brian chided his larger teammate. If he did get into a fight, it would not have been his first, and it would not be the first that his comrades would have to jump in to help, although it was Rob that usually got in over his head. **

"Shut up!" Rob yelled back

"Boys, boys, there's no need for us to fight, we've got a whole night of fun ahead of us" Eve stepped hurried her pace so she could walk between the two men. She was used to their sometimes constant bickering and arguing, it was just each one was so opinionated, and they just loved to fight with each other. She actually though it was kinda cute how all three of them would yell at each other like they were feuding brothers, though she rarely got involved. They never seriously stayed mad for very long at each other, and would always be laughing hysterically a few minutes later.

"Alright now who's riding in what?" She was referring to the jeep they had "acquired" with a little help from Brian's cousin "Gorgeous" Gerbels. Rob wanted to drive, so they all piled in and tore off into the bright afternoon sunlight. As usual Rob drove with absolutely no regard for the speed limit, but to the eager soldiers it didn't matter. They had been given an open invitation to let it all lose and they were going to take full advantage of it. The drive itself was a long one, since big cities or for that matter even small towns don't exactly spring up in rainforest or jungles. Their destination wasn't a big city, like say New Yark, but it was an average one. As time dragged on the city became visible in the distance, and the team slowly grew more and more excited. 

"Let's hit the first bar we find!" Brian shouted, standing up inside the roaring jeep and pumping his fist. 

"Uh sir, I don't think it's safe that you do that sir" Raj squeaked. The young man had never met people like these, and frankly he didn't really know how to act. They were so free, so uncaring about authority; honest to say he was a little jealous of them, since he had always been a quiet guy. A drop of alcohol had never passed his lips prior to that point. 

"How many times do we have to tell you Derik? Loosen Up!" Rob shouted over the combined roar of the engine and the wind. "Before tonight is over you are gonna get wasted, HA HA HA!" Raj shuddered, and began to wonder what he had gotten himself into by joining the MS forces. After a few more minutes of driving, they entered the town, Rob eased the jeep into a spot and the team jumped out. They filed into the bar and lined up at the counter. A greasy looking bartender came up to them and took each of their orders. Brian had a gin and tonic, Rob a beer, Eve a margarita. Pat never drank so he passed. Brian ordered a beer for Derik, who stared at it like it had something swimming in it. 

"He needs some motivation, watch this Rob." Brian whispered into his ear. In one swift movement Brian leapt up on to the bar and held his glass up high. The bar itself was filled and he noticed that one or two other people in the bar were wearing federation uniforms. "Can I have your attention please? I would like to offer a toast to my comrades here in our recent victory over those bastard Zeons!" By this time all the heads in the bar were looking at him. There were even a few cheers from the other Fedy patrons. "And I would also like to toast the Federation itself." More cheers. He stepped down, and downed his entire glass, declaring that the team would buy a round for the bar also in celebration of the recent victories. Time passed, drinks were passed, but not everything was fine. Little did our heroes know that some of the patrons in the bar weren't exactly Federation friendly.  A small group of off-duty Zeon pilots had been in the bar since before the fun-seeking 4th team arrived and had sat through Brian's impromptu toast to the hated Federation. One of them, their leader had decided that he had heard enough. With a sneer on his face, he motioned to his three comrades and slinked his way to the bar and stood behind Rob, who was at this point downing shots almost as fast as the bartender could pour them. The zeke tapped Rob on the shoulder, and as soon as he turned around, landed a punch deep into his stomach. Suffice to say, Rob's stomach is his least vulnerable spot, and the former Gm sniper responded by grabbing the man and head-butted him right between his eyes. This prompted the other three to tackle to rush forward and tackle the portly pilot. At the same time Brian also leapt into the fray, nonchalantly smashing a bottle over the head of one of the three Zekes. Pat and Derik, stood back neither wanting to get themselves involved. Why did I think this was going to happen, Pat asked himself ducking to avoid another flying bottle. He grabbed Derik and pulled him behind the bar. 

"What are you doing" the bewildered young man asked.

"I've learned to let the two of them handle the fighting, Derik, in the interest of personal health, but don't worry they can take care of themselves" he grinned at the still wide-eyed Derik. He was right; the others were dominating the Zeon pilots. Brian was toying with one of them by staying out of his range and peppering him with jabs, whilst Rob had knocked another out with a chair. Even Eve got some action, unleashing a surprising spinning kick to defeat the commander of the four, who had pulled a knife and charged her. 

'Where the hell did you learn that?" Brian asked, after throwing the only remaining conscious Zeon through a table to end the fight.

"Basic defense training" she responded a grin lighting up her face. "What about you two?"

Rob laughed out loud. "What, you think this is our first bar brawl?" Brian snickered. By this time Pat and Derik emerged from their hiding spot behind the bar, surveying the damage caused. The group apologized to the bartender for the damage, telling him to send his bill to the local Federation base. After a few more hours of drinking and carousing, the team finally decided to call it a day and began their long drive back home. Despite the flak they would obviously get the next day, they all believed that the day was all in all time well spent. 


	9. Sleeping, Servicing, and So

Chapter Nine

Sleeping, Servicing, and So

The pilots didn't get back until early in the morning, not that any of them were coherent enough to know what time it was. After the bar fight with the off-duty Zeke's, Eve and the boys hopped from bar to bar until they had been kicked out of every drinking establishment in town. All that they wanted to do was lie in bed, and sleep until their hangovers disappeared. However, the resident brass had other ideas.

"WHOOP, WHOOP, WHOOP!" The reveille sirens blared, shaking the soldiers out of their booze-induced slumbers.

"Ooooooh, My fucking head." Brian groaned running his hand through his tousled hair. It was pounding so hard it felt like he had a rave party inside his skull. He peered around the room, still unsure of his exact surroundings. He was definitely indoors, which meant that he had managed to make it into a room before he passed out. After a few more seconds, his eyes started to clear up, and thankfully he was in his own room, and not someone else's! He stood up from his bunk to check to see if Rob had made it back as well. To his surprise, he saw not the face of his friend, but the beautiful visage of his commanding officer smiling down at him.

"Good morning Brian!" She said cheerfully. "That was one rough night last night, wasn't it? I hope you're feeling better than you look." Brian rubbed his eyes in disbelief, but no matter how hard he did it, Eve still sat there above him. What in the world was she doing here? None of the living quarters were co-ed, the men and the women had separate sections of the barracks.

"I...uh…I feel okay, I guess." He was lying through his teeth of course, but his mind was focused on other things. Rob was no-where to be seen, which means he must have passed out somewhere else. Eve must have followed him here, instead of going back to her room. But since she ended up sleeping in his room…does that mean that they…everything that happened last night was still so much of a blur to him. He had gotten so drunk he couldn't remember a thing, let alone recall how much control he had over his actions. Eve had already leapt done from the top bunk onto the floor, and was in the middle of doing some calisthenics while Brian's mind was still tossing and turning in thought. He looked up at her, and his eyes grew wide for the second time that morning. Ketari was clad only in a pair of fabric shorts and a tank top! Brian was well aware of how pretty the Ensign was, but he had never really noticed just how attractive she really was. She turned to face Brian.

"I want to thank you for last night, Brian." Oh no! This was sure as hell gonna make things a little awkward around the base.

"Um…you're welcome. What…happened?" He asked, not totally sure he wanted to hear what she had to say. Eve laughed out loud. She could tell by the look on his face and the tone of his voice that he had no idea about what happened.

"After we got back, we all got separated. I have no clue where the other guys ended up. For some reason, I ended up following you to your bunk. I was so out of it that you offered me the top bunk to sleep in for the night." Brian visibly breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't blame him, if she had been in the same position he was, she would have thought the same thing. She walked over to the bunk, and leaned down to give him a quick peck on the cheek. "It was nice of you, and I appreciate it. Don't worry though, nothing bad happened." Brian gave her a lopsided grin.

"Okay. We had better find out what happened to every one else. God knows where they passed out." Brian stood up; and had already begun to undress himself when he remembered that he wasn't alone. "Oh, I'm sorry commander."

"It's ok, we'll take turns. I'll turn around first." She turned her eyes to the door while he dressed, and then he did the same when Eve changed. As soon as Brian opened the door, he found one of his teammates. Sitting down on the floor was Rob, still looking like he was half asleep.

"Hey Rob, are you awake?" Lazily, Rob craned his head upwards to look at his friend.

"Yeah, I'm awake. Stupid sirens." He stretched and yawned as he spoke.

"How the hell did you end up sleeping there?" Brian asked.

"Well, if I remember correctly, I stopped to take a whiz, and by the time I finished you guys all wandered off. I guess I only made it this far before I passed out myself." He rose up to his feet, a few of his joints loudly popping during the process. "Ha ha, I suppose this means you got a better sleep night's…rest" Rob's voice trailed off when he peered into the room that he normally shared with Brian, shocked to find that someone else was in the room with him. Even more surprising was that, that certain person was Ensign Ketari. What a lucky bastard, he thought to himself. He straightened up as best he could and delivered a sloppy salute. "Good morning, Commander." Eve stepped out from behind Brian into the hallway.

"At ease, Rob. I want you both finish getting ready, we have to go over repairs for the team's mobile suits today. I'll see you there in exactly one hour." With that she nodded goodbye, and calmly walked off down and out of the hallway. As soon as the commander was off sight, Rob patted Brian on the back.

"You smooth dog you, scoring with the commander. Very nice!" Rob's smile was ear to ear, although it was easy to pick out the small but noticeable hint of jealousy in his voice.

"Don't get any more ideas Rob, we didn't do anything."

"Sure you didn't. You and the commander were just having a platonic sleep-over."

'I swear, all she did was sleep in the top bunk, and if you don't believe me, ask her yourself "Brian protested. The idea of dating and women had been a long standing competition between the two friends. Up to this point, it had always been pretty balanced.

"Sure. Whatever you say, buddy."

"Shut up and get dressed." Rob snidely grinned at Brian before entering the room. Brian shook his head in frustration; it would be a lost cause to attempt to convince Rob that nothing had happened between him and Eve, so all he hoped was that he wouldn't spread it among the rest of the base. Under any other circumstances, he would trust Rob with his life, but gossip always found a way to get passed around faster than the common cold.

"Alright, I'm ready. Let's get going." Rob stepped out of the room and back into the hallway. The pair walked exited the building.


End file.
